Pirate Bats Silent Again

GREENVILLE, N.C. - Barry Bowden tossed a complete game allowing one run on four hits with seven strikeouts as Southern Miss handed No. 25 East Carolina its third straight loss 5-1 Saturday night at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

Bowden improved to 5-3 on the year and Southern Miss moved to 27-18 overall and 8-9 in Conference USA play. The Pirates fell to 28-15 overall and 6-7 in league action.

Junior Dustin Sasser worked five innings allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits, walked three and struck out three. Chris Powell came in to relieve Sasser in the sixth and worked three scoreless innings (season-high) allowing just one hit with four strikeouts while Mike Flye (1.0 IP) closed out the ninth.

Southern Miss wasted little scoring as they jumped on the Pirates early 1-0. Trey Sutton took Sasser’s first offering to left field for a double then scored on James Ewing’s single to left center. Jody Blount followed with a walk that put runners on first and second with no outs before Sasser fanned Trey Cuevas and got Michael Ewing to ground out into a 6-4-3 inning ending double-play.

The Pirates answered in the bottom of the frame when Ryan Wood took a Bowden fastball to left field for his third home run of the year knotting the game at one.

Southern Miss plated two more runs in the second inning when Sutton reached on a Stephen Batts error at first that scored Keith Winstead and Brian Dozier putting the score at 3-1. Winstead ripped a two-out single to left field then moved to third on Dozier’s single down the right field line. Dozier moved into scoring position on a Sasser wild pitch setting up the go ahead runs.

Sutton put the Golden Eagles up four, 5-1, with a two-run shot to right field in the top of the fourth. Dozier drew a one-out walk then crossed home on Sutton’s shot.

Offensively the Pirates had four hits with Wood (eight) and Batts (nine) each extended their current hitting streaks.

The two teams will meet for game three Sunday afternoon with a first pitch schedules for 1 p.m. (EDT).

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